The present invention relates to a rotatable display fixing module and especially to a rotatable display fixing module for a notebook computer.
Recently, liquid crystal displays (LCD) have been widely applied in electrical products, due to the rapid progress of optical technology and semiconductor technology. Moreover, with the advantages of high image quality, compact size, light weight, low driving voltage, and low power consumption, LCDs have been introduced into portable computers, personal digital assistants, color televisions, and are gradually replacing the cathode ray tubes (CRT) used in conventional displays. LCDs are becoming the mainstream display apparatus.
A conventional display of a notebook computer is disposed in the upper cover of the notebook computer. The display shows information and images thereon when the upper cover of the notebook computer is opened. The upper cover and a base of the notebook computer are connected by a pivot. Therefore, the working angle of the display can be adjusted according to user requirements by way of adjusting an angle of the upper cover.
Notebook computers are convenient to carry and therefore are frequently used for business meetings. In different environments, the notebook computer has to provide different display angles to enhance demonstration capabilities thereof. However, due to a conventional restricted display angle, the notebook computer cannot provide a clear image to all viewers. Moreover, due to software and hardware improvement, a tablet personal computer (Tablet PC) combines the notebook computer with a hand writing input device on the display. The tablet PC changes the input habits of the computer user and advances the information industry to a new milestone. A dual-purpose tablet PC with high processing performance combines the hand writing input device on the display panel and the keyboard input of the notebook computer. The dual-purpose tablet PC provides a humanizing input interface for a user who usually works in a moving environment. The display of a dual-purpose tablet PC can rotate about 180 degrees so that viewers around the tablet PC can easy see the information and images on the display.
Because the display is able to rotate, and is not fixed, the display can shake when the tablet PC is working so that the display is in an unstable working situation. Furthermore, because the rotatable display is usually rotated around a rotating mechanism, there is a concave hole around the rotating mechanisms to provide room for the rotating mechanism to move. Therefore, the user may directly see the concave hole under the rotatable display when the display of the dual-purpose tablet PC is opened. The concave hole may appear unattractive and further allows foreign objects that drop into the concave hole to interfere with the rotation of the rotating mechanism and even to damage the rotating mechanism.
Therefore, there is a need to fix effectively the display on the dual-purpose tablet PC and cover the concave hole to provide an attractive appearance and a more stable working situation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotatable display fixing module to fix the display after the display reaches a predetermined angle so as to reduce the shaking phenomenon when the display is in use.
It is another object of the present invention provides a fixing switch. The fixing switch can rebound to cover the concave hole around the rotating mechanism to prevent foreign object from dropping thereinto when the display reaches the predetermined angle.
To accomplish the above objectives, the present invention provides a rotatable display fixing module. The rotatable display fixing module includes a first rotational device, a second rotational device and a fixing switch. The first rotational device rotatably connects a display to the second rotational device. Therefore, the display is capable of rotating on both the first rotational device and the second rotational device. The first rotational device is capable of rotating on the second rotational device. The fixing switch further includes a fixing surface. If the fixing switch rebounds to a rebound position, the fixing surface fixes the second rotational device at a predetermined angle and the display is still capable of rotating on the first rotational device.
The display is a liquid crystal display of a notebook computer. The fixing switch further includes a locking device that is disposed under the fixing switch. The locking device locks the fixing switch when the fixing switch is pressed down. A linkage device is utilized to link the fixing switch and the second rotational device. The locking device releases the fixing switch when the second rotational device reaches the predetermined angle and pushes the linkage device and then the linkage device pushes the locking device to release the fixing switch. The predetermined angle is the second rotational device at 0 degrees or 180 degrees.
Hence, the rotatable display fixing module according to the present invention locks the display to avoid turning to the left and right when the fixing switch rebounds up so that the shaking problem can be eliminated and the appearance can be attractive. Furthermore, the fixing switch can cover the concave hole to prevent the foreign objects from dropping into the concave hole so as to protect the rotating mechanism from damage. The display can fully rotate on the first and second rotational device when the fixing switch is pressed down.